Review: Corrupt by Penelope Douglas

I was told that dreams were our heart’s desires. My nightmares, however, became my obsession.

His name is Michael Crist.

My boyfriend’s older brother is like that scary movie that you peek through your hand to watch. He is handsome, strong, and completely terrifying. The star of his college’s basketball team and now gone pro, he’s more concerned with the dirt on his shoe than me.

But I noticed him.

I saw him. I heard him. The things that he did, and the deeds that he hid…For years, I bit my nails, unable to look away.

Now, I’ve graduated high school and moved on to college, but I haven’t stopped watching Michael. He’s bad, and the dirt I’ve seen isn’t content to stay in my head anymore.

Because he’s finally noticed me.

Michael

Her name is Erika Fane, but everyone calls her Rika.

My brother’s girlfriend grew up hanging around my house and is always at our dinner table. She looks down when I enter a room and stills when I am close. I can always feel the fear rolling off of her, and while I haven’t had her body, I know that I have her mind. That’s all I really want anyway.

Until my brother leaves for the military, and I find Rika alone at college.

In my city.

Unprotected.

The opportunity is too good to be true as well as the timing. Because you see, three years ago she put a few of my high school friends in prison, and now they’re out.

We’ve waited. We’ve been patient. And now every last one of her nightmares will come true.

***Corrupt can be read as a stand-alone. No cliffhanger. (less)

Penelope is a new author for me and I’m kicking myself for not reading this sooner. Admittedly, I was a little intimidated and I’ll never let a book do that to me again. EVER. I was hooked from the very first sentence and this book held me hostage until the very last sentence. I have never read anything like this book. I can see why some readers would go as far as reviewing this badly and while we are all entitled to our own opinions, I have to say that I am a little surprised. I had to really dig deep into my head to analyze everything happening. You can’t help but enter your own thoughts and opinions in life in general but in books, especially in this genre, you can’t do that. If you don’t agree with something or have a strong opinion on another thing and a specific book tackles that, then you might as well not even start it. THAT’S why I was so afraid to touch this one because of fear.

Erika. Is. A. Force. I was just telling a friend today that society’s views on literally everything is so skewed. Women especially should look a certain way, act a certain way and it’s no different with Rika who has been called a “spoiled little rich girl acting out” and to that I call and say BS. When you grow up a certain way or with certain cultures there are so many expectations. It’s a natural, human thing and want to just want more, want different and I saw that Rika craved that. She wanted to fit in but at the same time find herself and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her grow into a certifiable bad ass.

Michael was definitely intriguing to me, mysterious to the point that I wanted to slap him for freaking answers. I get it. I really, really do. The internal struggle that he faces within himself for Rika and for his friends was executed with perfection. He wants to inflict fear but protect her all at once. Everything that he does is FOR both her and his friends. He too, is a product of his rich upbringing, so of course he and his friends want to cause a raucous, be rebellious and force those expectations away just as Rika is trying to.

I’ve experienced several book hangovers throughout my very freshman journey in this genre. While this book didn’t cause any ugly tears, it pulled out so many other emotions that I can’t even explain in words. I’m literally STILL high from the hangover that this one has caused. I usually pick up another book when I’m done with one but right now, I don’t want to.

I need to address the playlist. I. Am. Obsessed. You see a book playlist and immediately check it out on Spotify or run and download it right? Yeah…this playlist, it’s everything. She is my music spirit animal. Knowing that I had 1/2 the songs already in my arsenal made me leap for musical joy. I’m listening to Laurel’s Fire Breather as I type out this review.

Read this book. I promise you will not be disappointed. If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would. I’m corrupted.

About Penelope Douglas

Penelope Douglas is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author living in Las Vegas with her husband and their daughter. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her cleaning or trolling the IMDb message boards, arguing with other Star Wars fanatics. Her books include the Fall Away series (Bully, Until You, Rival, Falling Away, and Aflame). Please look for her recent standalones, Corrupt and Misconduct. Available now.